In the temple of Panagia Sumela Aharne on August 20 at 21:00 the royal tomb with the relics of the Holy Great Martyr Catherine (Sinai)

On August 20 at 21:00, the royal tomb with the relics of the Holy Great Martyr Catherine (Sinai) will arrive at the temple of Panagia Sumela, in the Athens region of Acharne (Menidi). The relics will remain in the Temple until August 31.

The temple is located at

Οδός Σαμψούντος / Acharne
Postal code:13671
Phone: +30-2102465635
Phone:+30- 6977627625
Web site: http://www.psa.org.gr/

Holy Great Martyr Catherine
The Holy Great Martyr Catherine was the daughter of Constas, ruler of Alexandria of Egypt, during the reign of Emperor Maximinus (305-313). Living in the capital, the center of Hellenic learning, Catherine, who had a rare beauty and intelligence, received an excellent education, having studied the works of the best ancient philosophers and scientists. Young men from the most eminent families of the empire sought the hand of the beautiful Catherine, but none of them became her chosen one. She announced to her parents that she agreed to marry only someone who surpassed her in nobility, wealth, beauty and wisdom.

Catherine’s mother, a secret Christian, took her for advice to her spiritual father, the holy elder, who performed a deed of prayer in solitude in a cave not far from the city. After listening to Catherine, the elder said that he knows a young man who surpasses her in everything, for “his beauty is brighter than the sunshine, his wisdom governs all creation, his wealth spills all over the world, but this does not reduce him, but multiplies, the height of his kind – unspeakable.” The image of the heavenly bridegroom gave birth in the soul of the holy virgin to an ardent desire to see him. The truth, to which her soul yearned, was revealed to her. In parting, the elder handed Catherine the icon of the Mother of God with the Divine Infant Jesus in her arms and ordered her to pray with faith to the Queen of Heaven – the Mother of the heavenly bridegroom for the granting of a vision of her son.

Catherine prayed all night and was honored to see the Blessed Virgin, who asked Her Divine Son to look at Catherine kneeling before them. But the baby turned his face away from her, saying that he could not look at her, because she was ugly, thin, poor and insane, like every person who was not washed by the waters of holy Baptism and not sealed with the seal of the Holy Spirit. In deep sadness, Catherine again went to the elder. He received her with love, instructed her in the faith of Christ, commanded her to remain pure and chaste, and pray unceasingly, and performed the sacrament of holy Baptism over her. And again, Saint Catherine had a vision of the Most Holy Theotokos with the baby. Now the Lord tenderly looked at her and gave her a ring, betrothing her to himself. When the vision ended and the saint woke up from her sleep, a ring shone on her hand – a wondrous gift from the heavenly bridegroom.

At this time, Emperor Maximin himself arrived in Alexandria for a pagan festival. On this occasion, the celebration was especially magnificent and crowded. The cries of the sacrificial animals, the smoke and stench of the altars that burned incessantly, the hubbub of the crowd on the stadiums filled Alexandria. Human sacrifices were also made – confessors of Christ who did not depart from him under torture were doomed to death in fire. Holy love for the Christian martyrs and a heartfelt desire to alleviate their plight prompted Catherine to go to the chief priest and ruler of the empire, the persecuting emperor Maximinus.

Having named herself, the saint confessed her faith in the One True God and wisely exposed the errors of the pagans. The beauty of the girl captivated the ruler. To convince her and show the triumph of pagan wisdom, the emperor ordered to convene 50 most learned men of the empire, but the saint took over the sages, so that they themselves believed in Christ. Saint Catherine overshadowed the martyrs with the sign of the cross, and they courageously accepted death for Christ and were burned at the behest of the emperor.

Maximinus, no longer hoping to convince the saint, tried to seduce her with the promise of wealth and fame. Having received an angry refusal, the emperor ordered that the saint be subjected to cruel tortures, and then thrown into prison. The Empress Augusta, who had heard a lot about Saint Catherine, wished to see her. Having persuaded the governor Porfiry with a detachment of soldiers to accompany her, Augusta came to the dungeon. The Empress was struck by the strength of the spirit of St. Catherine, whose face shone with divine grace. The holy martyr revealed the Christian teaching to those who came, and having believed, they turned to Christ.

The next day, the martyr was again brought to the court, where, under the threat of being struck on the wheel, they offered her to renounce the Christian faith and offer sacrifice to the gods. The saint adamantly confessed Christ, and herself approached the wheels, but the angel crushed the instruments of execution, and they shattered into pieces, killing many pagans. Seeing this miracle, the empress Augusta and the courtier Porfiry with 200 soldiers confessed their faith in Christ in front of everyone and were beheaded. Maximin again tried to seduce the holy martyr by offering her marriage, and was again refused. Saint Catherine firmly confessed her fidelity to her heavenly bridegroom – Christ, and with a prayer to him she herself laid her head on the chopping block under the executioner’s sword. The relics of St. Catherine were transferred by angels to Mount Sinai. In the 6th century, by revelation, the honest head and left hand of the holy martyr were obtained and transferred with honors to the newly created temple of the Sinai monastery, built by the holy emperor Justinian (527 – 565; Comm. 14 November).

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